Method of and system for conducting multiple contests of skill with a single performance

ABSTRACT

A method of and system for conducting multiple competitions of skill for a single performance are described herein. User generated competition groups and system generated competition groups allow users to participate in multiple competitions at once based on answering the same questions or making the same selections related to a single event. The users are informed of each competition either via email, text message or when logging into the network via a website. The users select which competitions groups to join. After joining the desired groups, the users then make their selections related to the event which are transmitted to the network where results are tabulated and transmitted back to the users. The results are separated based on each competition group, so that users can continually know where they stand in each separate competition. With multiple competition groups, users are able to have varying success from the same performance in multiple competitions.

RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This patent application is a continuation of of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/956,217, filed on Dec. 1, 2015, titled “METHOD OF AND SYSTEMFOR CONDUCTING MULTIPLE CONTESTS OF SKILL WITH A SINGLE PERFORMANCE”which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/859,554,filed on Apr. 9, 2013, titled “METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTINGMULTIPLE CONTESTS OF SKILL WITH A SINGLE PERFORMANCE” which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/246,464, filed onSep. 27, 2011, titled “METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING MULTIPLECONTESTS OF SKILL WITH A SINGLE PERFORMANCE” which is acontinuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/215,052, filed Aug. 22, 2011, and titled “METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FORCONDUCTING MULTIPLE CONTESTS OF SKILL WITH A SINGLE PERFORMANCE” whichis a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/652,240, filedon Jan. 10, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,618, titled “METHOD OF ANDSYSTEM FOR CONDUCTING MULTIPLE CONTESTS OF SKILL WITH A SINGLEPERFORMANCE” which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of theco-owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/757,960, filed Jan.10, 2006, and entitled “METHODOLOGY FOR CONDUCTING MULTIPLE CONTESTS OFSKILL WITH A SINGLE PERFORMANCE,” all of which are also herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of distributed gaming. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to the field of distributedgaming utilizing a mobile device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the United States alone there are over 170 million registeredcellular phones. With the expiration of the U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,546 toFascenda and Lockton, companies are able to now use the cellular phoneand other mobile communication devices utilizing a multicast network tocontrol television viewers in games of skill based upon predicting, forexample, what the quarterback may call on the next play within afootball game. In addition, games of skill with a common start time canbe conducted simultaneously among cellular phone owners, based onclassic card, dice, trivia, and other games. In order to avoid theanti-gaming laws in the various states, the winners must be determinedby the relative skill, experience and practice of the player in eachdiscrete game.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,913 ('913) to Berner and Lockton provides for acentral computing system which includes a means of grouping participantshaving similar skill levels together in simultaneous, but separate,levels of competition playing an identical game. The relativeperformances are communicated to only those participants competing atthe same skill level. The '913 patent also provides for a wirelessreceiving device to permanently store the specific skill level for eachparticipant for each type of common event such as those based ontelevised sports or game shows. The '913 patent provides for atelephonic link at the completion of the game to collect information andupdate the skill level of the participants of a particular game. When aperson achieves sufficient points or meets other objective criteria tograduate into another skill level, a method is provided foraccomplishing this in the central computer and then transmitting analert to the participant notifying them of their promotion. The '913patent describes awarding prizes and providing recognition for themembers of each discreet skill level in a common game. All users, nomatter what level they are on, receive the same number of questions andthus the possibility of earning the same number of points. Thus directcomparisons between users at different levels, although not encouragedare possible. Such comparisons between players of disparate skills canlead to user discouragement.

Games of skill and chance have an intrinsic excitement and entertainmentvalue. Any game is greatly enhanced by a participant's ability to knowhow their performance compares in relation to other participants and/orto historical performance for the game throughout the contest. As withany game of skill, competition among friends, or with strangers ofsimilar experience, or the ability at ones option, sometimes for anextra consideration, to compete in a separate team or individualcontest, offers the opportunity of increased enjoyment and prizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of and system for conducting multiple competitions of skill fora single performance are described herein. User generated competitiongroups and system generated competition groups allow users toparticipate in multiple competitions at once based on answering the samequestions or making the same selections related to a single event. Theusers are informed of the availability of each competition either viaemail, text message or when logging into the network via a website. Theusers select which competitions groups to join. After joining thedesired groups, the users then make their selections related to theevent which are transmitted to the network where results are tabulatedand transmitted back to the users. The results are separated for eachcompetition group, so that users continually know where they stand ineach separate competition. With multiple competition groups, users areable to have varying success from the same performance in multiplecompetitions.

In one aspect, a method of participating in multiple contests of skillcorresponding to an event comprises receiving a list of competitivegroups to join, selecting a plurality of competitive groups to join,participating with the plurality of competitive groups by sendingselections related to the single event to a server and receivingstandings on a device from the server, wherein the standings are basedon results from the selections. The event is selected from the groupconsisting of a television-based sporting event, entertainmentprogramming and a game show. Alternatively, the event comprisesidentical classic card, dice, trivia and word games playedsimultaneously. Receiving the standings on the device with the pluralityof competitive groups occurs during the event. The results are separatedbased on the plurality of competitive groups. The standings are receivedperiodically and represent performance in the competitive groups. Thecompetitive groups are selected from the service provider generatedcompetitive groups and/or user generated competitive groups. The serviceprovider generated competitive groups are based on general playingcharacteristics. The list of competitive groups to join is received onthe device selected from the user interface including a cellular phone,a laptop computer, a personal computer or a PDA. The competitive groupsare maintained in a database. In some embodiments, the results include ahandicap.

In another aspect, a method of conducting multiple contests of skillcorresponding to an event comprises generating separate competitivegroups related to the event, coupling to a network to participate in thecompetitive groups, informing a user which of the competitive groups areavailable for the user to join, joining a selected number of thecompetitive groups, participating with the competitive groups by sendingselections related to the event to a server within the network, storingresults and standings on the server, wherein the standings are based onthe results and the results are based on the selections and transmittingthe standings to a device. The method further comprises displaying thestandings on the device. The server contains an application and adatabase for assisting in generating the competitive group. Theapplication includes a graphical user interface. The device contains anapplication for assisting in generating the competitive group.Generating competitive groups related to the event further comprisescoupling to the server, selecting a type of contest and additionalconditions to be included in the competitive group, adding competitorsto the competitive group and selecting the event for competition by thecompetitive group. The type of contest is selected from the groupconsisting of, for example, an open contest, a head-to-head contest anda team contest. Adding competitors to the competitive group includesidentifying the competitors by an identifier selected from the groupconsisting of a username, an email address, a cellular phone number orother unique identifier. The method further comprises sending aninvitation which informs the competitors of an opportunity to beincluded in the competitive group. The invitation is sent by acompetitor or the service provider with a mechanism selected from thegroup consisting of an email, an SMS text message, a voice message orsimilar addressable communication. The event is selected from the groupconsisting of, for example, a television-based sporting event,entertainment programming and a game show. Alternatively, the eventcomprises identical classic card, dice, trivia and word games playedsimultaneously. Transmitting the standings with the competitive groupsoccurs during the event. The standings are separated for each of thecompetitive groups. The standings are received periodically andrepresent performance in the competitive groups. The competitive groupsare selected from the service provider generated competitive groupsand/or user generated competitive groups. The service provider generatedcompetitive groups are based on general playing characteristics. Thedevice is selected from the group consisting of a cellular phone, alaptop computer, a personal computer and a PDA. The competitive groupsare maintained in a database. In some embodiments, the results include ahandicap.

In another embodiment, a system for conducting multiple contests ofskill corresponding to an event comprises a device and a server coupledto the device through a network for storing competitive groups,receiving selections related to the event, storing results and standingsbased on the selections and transmitting the standings to the device.The server is further for providing an interface for generatingcompetitive groups related to the event. The device contains anapplication for generating the competitive groups related to the event.The event is selected from the group consisting of a television-basedsporting event, entertainment programming and a game show.Alternatively, the event comprises classic card, dice, trivia and wordgames played simultaneously. The device communicates data for generatingthe competitive groups, for selecting the competitive groups to join andfor submitting the selections. The network includes at least one of theInternet and a cellular network. The standings are transmittedperiodically to the device and represent performance in the competitivegroups. The standings are separated for each of the competitive groups.The network identifies the competitive groups a user is eligible for.The system further comprises a database stored on the server formanaging the selections, the results, the standings and the competitivegroups. The device is selected from the group consisting of a cellularphone, a laptop computer, a personal computer and a PDA. In someembodiments, the results include a handicap.

In yet another aspect, a network of devices for conducting multiplecontests of skill corresponding to an event comprises a plurality ofdevices and a server within a network, wherein the server and theplurality of devices communicate to conduct the multiple contests ofskill corresponding to the event. The plurality of devices are selectedfrom the group consisting of cellular phones, laptop computers, personalcomputers and PDAs.

In another aspect, a server device for conducting multiple contests ofskill corresponding to an event comprises a storage mechanism and anapplication for interacting with the storage mechanism and acommunicating device to generate and store competitive groups which areused to compete in the multiple contests of skill. The storage mechanismis a database. The communicating device is selected from the groupconsisting of a cellular phone, a laptop computer, a personal computerand a PDA. Interacting with the storage mechanism and the communicatingdevice further includes receiving selections and transmitting standings.

In yet another aspect, a device for participating in multiple contestsof skill corresponding to a single event comprises a communicationsmodule for coupling to a server and an application for utilizing thecommunications module for coupling to a server to communicate with theserver to generate competitive groups which are used to compete in themultiple contests of skill. The application utilizes the communicationsmodule for coupling to the server to send selections to and receivestandings from the server.

In yet another aspect, a device for participating in multiplesimultaneous contests of skill corresponding to a single event comprisesa storage module and an application stored within the storage module forsimultaneously starting the multiple contests of skill andsimultaneously scoring the multiple contests of skill. The applicationis downloaded from a server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a process of utilizing the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of a process of generating a usergenerated competition group.

FIG. 3 illustrates a graphical representation of an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a graphical representation of a network of devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A method and system for conducting a variety of competitionssimultaneously are described herein. The organization of competition ina game of skill has previously taken one of three basic formats:

1) Open contests: where large numbers of players enter an event, and allof the entrants are competing against each other for a single prizepool.

2) Head-to-head: where competitors are matched between a relativelysmall number of players identified to compete head-to-head against eachother. The actual match making occurs in many forms, such as match playor elimination tournaments.

3) Team competitions: where two or more people are teamed to compete inhead-to-head elimination against other similar sized teams in match playor total score competitions.

The present invention is a system and method allowing participants tosimultaneously compete in multiple contests based on a singleperformance. For example, a user is able to participate in an opencontest, compete in a team competition, and also compete against a smallgroup of friends all utilizing a score achieved in the same event.

As a comparison, in tournaments held for bowling or golf, players areable to compete simultaneously in a gross score tournament as well as anet (handicap) tournament with the same performance. However, thecontestants in the gross and net competitions are identical. The focusof the present invention is on enabling the entry of an individual inseparate competitions, with separate prizes based on their singleperformance (score), where the pool of entrants is different for eachcompetition.

The default mechanism for organizing a competition for this type of gamein the past has been an open contest where all competitors areautomatically entered in a contest against all other players. As taughtin U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,913, incorporated herein by reference, thecompetitive field of players is also able to be divided into separateflights or groups according to skill and experience and only scores fromother competitions at the same skill level are compared. Thousands ofplayers are able to compete in a particular football game within aparticular skill level. In some embodiments, game data includes alockout signal to prevent improper game inputs by participants. Forexample, a central computer system broadcasts a lockout signal toprevent improper game inputs by participants.

For this example, Player A has been rated as an “intermediate” playerand is competing against 10,000 other “intermediate” players in aninteractive game of skill played with a live Monday Night Footballbroadcast. Prior to the telecast, Player A has arranged a sidecompetition against four of his friends. Player B has organized througha match-making interface, a small competition which includes Players A,B, C, D and E. In this example, Players A and B are intermediateplayers, but Players C, D and E are novice players. Player B has alsoorganized this small competition to require a $2.00 entry fee with awinner-takes-all rule. While none of the competitions require prizes orawards, they are allowable in games of skill.

When Player A logs on to a network supporting mobile games of skill, heis presented with the option of competing in the private separatecontest that Player B set up. Player A agrees to compete with the $2.00entry fee.

Separately, Player A has previously registered to participate in asponsored season long team competition with coworkers F, G and H. Thehighest two scores of their four man team are totaled, and these pointsare added to the season's cumulative score with the highest team scoreswinning prizes. Thus, for a single football game, Player A is registeredin: an open competition where the best competitors win prizes, afriendly competition for a prize pool of $10, and a season long teamcompetition.

During the football game, Player A, like all of the other players, triesto get the best possible score by predicting the plays correctly beforethey happen. He plays in the same manner he would playing in the opencontest alone, but his performance is in fact simultaneously separatelyscored in these completely different competitions against a differentset of opponents for different rewards.

At the end of the event, Player A scored 12,565 points, in this example.That score was in the 92^(nd) percentile among the 10,000 intermediateplayers, but not high enough to win an award in that contest. That samescore of 12,565 was also compared against Players B, C, D and E, and wasthe highest score, so Player A won the separate competition of $10. Atthe same time, Player A's score was the second highest among his teammembers in the separate team competition, and therefore was one whichwas totaled for the season long team competition.

It is essential to the success and enjoyment of such an invention that apotential competitor have an easy method of registering and enteringthese separate competitions on an ad hoc or seasonal basis. In addition,it is important to the success of such a system that all of thecompetitors be able to monitor periodically, not only their ongoingstandings in the overall open competition at their skill level, but theywill be able to periodically review all the competitions they areentered into to see the current standings.

For each of these competitions, there are two ways the group ofattendees are able to be formed: A) organized by the service providerand/or a commercial sponsor or B) organized by the users themselves.Examples of service provider generated groups include those based oncompetitive skill level and region. For example, all intermediateplayers for a specific football game. An example of a user generatedgroup is identifying five friends for a football competition. As eachplayer enters a particular event (e.g. Monday Night Football), they areinformed of the competitions they are playing in (e.g. IntermediateGlobal competition, the California Bay Area competition, and thepersonal Group competition). Each group is able to have a generic nameand/or a specific name such as “personal group competition 1” or “Bob'sCompetition.” When a player's phone or computing device establishes aconnection with the network (e.g. the Airplay Network), the networkidentifies all of the groups that this player is able to compete in, andthe server will upload this information to the phone over a cellularconnection for display to the user. When a user couples to the networkwith a computing device other than a cellular phone, the information isavailable through the Internet. In some embodiments, participation invarious group competitions involves additional fees. Users have theability to choose not to compete in any or all of the groups they havebeen invited to.

There are two classes of Groups: System Generated Groups (e.g. ServiceProvider Groups) and User Generated Groups. System Generated Groups aregenerated by the service administrator based on database informationabout the user. Examples include Intermediate Skill Level and CaliforniaBay Area San Francisco 49ers Fans. User Generated Groups are defined byone or more members. A member is able to generate a group either fromthe services website or from a cellular phone interface. To generate agroup, a member generates a name for the group or a generic name isassigned, and then the member adds other members to the group. Themember is able to add other members to the group by their handle (uniqueidentifier), email address (for new members) or by their cellular phonenumber. Groups are able to be assigned to a particular event. A group isable to be designated as an active group or a party. User group ownersgenerate a party by associating the group to a particular event (e.g.December 12^(th) Monday Night Football Game). In some embodiments, anemail invitation or text message is sent to inform the members of thegroup that they have been invited to a party.

The game control server maintains a list of groups. Service ProviderGroups are automatically assigned to events. User Groups are assigned toevents by the group owners. In both cases, a list of active groups isknown before the start of the event such as parties for a particularevent. Within each of these known groups a list of all the participantsis also maintained. This is able to be implemented in several ways. Themost common way is via a database manager. This is able to be donethrough a data structure that is loaded for each event, and a databaseis one natural implementation to keep track of the group/participantrelationships.

Throughout the game, a server manages the scores for every player. Thescores are updated in a central location such as a database server, andare sorted with the members of a particular group to identify therankings for each member in the competition.

During an event, scores and rankings are sent to members of the variousgroups. This is done after each scoring opportunity, or at a slower pacesuch as every five minutes or every five scoring opportunities. Forsmall groups (e.g. 20 or less active participants) all of the scores andrankings are able to be sent by the server and displayed on theparticipant's device. For very large groups there are two approachesthat can be taken: 1) Common message or 2) Individualized message.Sending a common message for large groups is much more efficient on thenetwork, and is able to still provide a significant amount ofinformation. The message is able to contain the top 20 names and scoresfor this group as well as the score that is required to be in the top95%, 90%, 85%, . . . 5%. When the client receives this message, itdetermines what percentile the user is in by extrapolating its scorebetween the percentile scores that the user is between. In sending anindividual message for a large group, the server would still send thetop 20 names and scores as well as the exact percentile that this userfalls in.

Each separate tournament is managed effectively. A message is sent fromthe game server to the individual clients associated with each group.For very large groups, this message is able to be identical for all ofthose that are receiving the message. Past results tracked on the phoneand in more detail on the website will track the rankings in each of thedifferent groups associated with an event. A selection of pre-producedaudio and visual comments, for example, in the nature of taunts andcheers are able to be selected from a menu and sent to a specificindividual or to all competitors in the group.

Games of skill played on the Internet or cellular phones based upon livetelecast sporting events or popular game shows are expected to attract alarge number of potential competitors. As in all games of skill, therewill be a wide variety of experience and talent and many motivations toplay. To some, the enjoyment will be competing in open competitionsagainst skilled players to test their medal. For others, it may be justthe ability to compete and possibly win against a handful of closefriends who share the same passion for the underlying televised event.Others may be more team oriented and derive more enjoyment fromparticipating as a member of the group. The method and systems describedherein provide not only the ability for an individual to find a group ofcompetitors and a contest attractive to them, but also allows them tocompete in multiple contests simultaneously with the identicalperformance and with the same investment of time. This increases notonly the sense of community, but provides greater opportunities for thesatisfaction of beating friends as well as winning prizes.

FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart of a process of utilizing the presentinvention. In the step 100, competitive groups are generated related toevents. The competitive groups are either system generated or usergenerated. As described above, a system generated group is generallybased on skill level, location or another generic attribute that someusers qualify for, while other users do not. A user generated group isselected by a user where participants are added to the group by enteringa username, email address, cellular phone number, or anotherdistinguishing identifier. User generated groups typically includegroups of friends, co-workers and other groups of people that a userwants to compete with. Any number of system groups and user groups areable to be generated. In addition to determining who is included in thecompetition, the events being played within the competition areselected. For example, a user is able to set up a Monday Night Footballleague, wherein every Monday night for the regular season of the NFL,the users within the group compete based on the Monday night game. Insome embodiments, the specific games that the users compete in areselected at later dates beyond the initial generation of the group.

In the step 102, users couple to a network (e.g. the Airplay Network) toparticipate in the generated competitions. In the step 104, the usersare informed which competitions are available for participation. Forexample, an intermediate user couples to the network using his cellularphone and is greeted with a list of competitions available for him tojoin. The list includes, a free open competition for all intermediateplayers for a specified game, an individual group competition that hisfriend invited him to join also for the same specified game, a teamcompetition that his co-workers wanted him to be a part of where it is aseason long tournament which includes the same specified game andanother system generated competition also for the same game that costs$10 to enter with larger prizes available than the free competition. Inthe step 106, each user who has coupled to the network joins the groupsdesired. Continuing with the example above, the user decides to join thefree open competition, the friend's competition and the co-workercompetition but does not join the $10 competition.

In the step 108, the users then participate in the competitions bysending user selections (e.g. predictions) to a server within thenetwork for monitoring, analyzing and determining results based on theselections. Based on the results, standings for each competition arealso determined. Using the example above again, although the user joinedthree different competitions related to a single game, the user competesexactly the same as if he entered in only one of the competitions, sincehis input is distributed for the three different competitions.

In the step 110, the results based on the users' selections are stored.The results are stored in a way such that they are easily retrieved foreach competition. For example, a storing mechanism such as a databasestores the results of Game X for Player A where Player A's score is1000. In the free open competition, Player A's score was not good enoughto win a prize. However, in the friendly competition, it was the highestscore, and in the co-worker team competition it was a score usable bythe team. Therefore, although the score was not a winning score for onecompetition, it was a beneficial score in the other two competitions. Bycompeting in multiple competitions for the same game/event, a user'sresults/score could provide different outcomes depending on thecompetition. Therefore, the proper associations of each competition andthe score are required.

In the step 112, each user receives the results and/or standings on hiscellular phone or computer. The results and/or standings arrive atvarying times depending on the setup of the system. The results and/orstandings are received or at least accessible after the competitionends. If desired, the results and/or standings are also receivedthroughout the competition such as every five minutes or after a certainnumber of selections are made. The standings from the results determinewho wins at the end of the competition. While displayed during the game,the standings show what position the user is in. The standings are basedon the results of the selections made by the users.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart of a process of generating a usergenerated competition group. In the step 200, a user couples to a serverwithin a network (e.g. the Airplay Network) storing an application togenerate a competition group. In some embodiments, the application isstored on the user's cellular phone instead of or in addition to on theserver. Preferably, the application provides a graphical user interfacesuch as an interactive website for easily generating the competitiongroup. In the step 202, the user selects the type of competition, suchas open, head-to-head or team, in addition to other types ofcompetitions. The user also adds any additional requirements orconditions such as intermediate players only or $2 entry fee with thewinner-take-all. Additionally, the user labels or names the competitiongroup. In the step 204, competitors are added to the competition. Thecompetitors are added based on a username, phone number, email addressor another identification mechanism. In the step 206, either at theinitial set up of the competition group or later on, one or more eventsare selected to be competed in. For example, if a user wants to set up acompetition specifically for Super Bowl XLI, he is able to designatethat immediately. Or if a user wants to start a week-long competitionrelated to Jeopardy, he is able to do that as well. The user is alsoable to retain the same group and modify it to generate a secondcompetition. For example, after the Super Bowl XLI competition ends, theuser is able to generate another competition with the same group for theNCAA BCS Bowl Championship Game. Users are able to generate as basic oras complex a competition group as desired. As described above, it isable to be for a single event, a variety of events or an entire seasonof events. Preferably, a database is utilized to organize thecompetition groups for easy correlation of data.

FIG. 3 illustrates a graphical representation of an embodiment of thepresent invention. A server 300 contains an application 302 and astorage mechanism 304. The application 302 is preferably a webapplication or at least has a web component to enable users to interactwith a web graphical user interface to input data and review data. Thestorage mechanism 304 is utilized for storing selections and resultsfrom the selections as well as competition groups. The storage mechanism304 preferably includes a database for organizing the data including theselections, results, standings and competition groups amongst other dataneeded for executing the competitions. The server 300 is part of anetwork 306. A device 308 couples to the server 300 through the network306. In some embodiments the network 306 includes the Internet. In someembodiments, the network 306 includes a cellular network Also, in someembodiments, the network 306 includes both the Internet and a cellularnetwork. The device 308 is selected from a cellular phone, a PDA, acomputer, a laptop or any other device capable of communicating with theserver 300. As described above, in some embodiments, an application forallowing users to generate competition groups, input selections andcommunicate with the server in general is included in the device 308instead of or in addition to the application 302 on the server 300.

FIG. 4 illustrates a graphical representation of a network of devices.As described above, the server 300 contains the application 302 and thestorage mechanism 304 for inputting and outputting data related to thecompetitions. The device 308, couples to the network through a network306. As described above, the network includes either the Internet, acellular network or both. Although the device 308 is able to be a deviceother than a cellular phone as shown, other devices are also showncoupled to the network 306 therefore forming a network of devices 400.The other devices include a laptop 310, a computer 312 and a PDA 314.One of the devices 308 is shown with an application 320 for enabling theuser to generate competition groups and communicate with the server 300.

In some embodiments, handicaps are implemented so that users ofdifferent levels are able to compete more fairly. Handicaps provideadditional points to users at lower levels so their score is comparableto a more advanced user. The handicaps are determined based on analysisof the scoring. For example, if advanced users on average score 3000,while intermediate users on average score 2000 and beginners on averagescore 1000 for the same set of questions, then a fair handicap is 1000per difference in level. Thus, when there is a friendly competitionbetween one user who is advanced by playing every week and threebeginner users who play once a month just for fun, a straight gamewithout handicaps is not likely going to be a close competition.However, if the beginner users are given help to put them on par withthe advanced user, then the outcome of the competition could result in abeginner user winning.

In some embodiments, each user competes in the same game, but slightlydifferent sets of questions/choices are posed based on the competitionlevel. For example, an intermediate user chooses to play in an openintermediate competition and also with a group of beginner friends. Eachof the beginner users is asked to choose what type of play the followingplay is going to be (e.g. Run or Pass). The intermediate user is alsoasked to choose the following play. However, the intermediate user isalso asked to choose which direction the play will go (e.g. Left orRight). Therefore, the same game is being played to some extent, butthere is a slight modification, so that more advanced users haveadditional options. However, when scoring, the additional options applyonly across the same level. Thus, the user selecting Left or Rightcorrectly has no effect on the scoring in the beginner competition. Itonly affects scoring for the intermediate competition. Thus, users areable to compete at different levels for the same event.

To utilize the present invention, users select from or generatecompetition groups to participate in. The users select system generatedcompetition groups which are specific to levels, geographic locationsand other general categories. The users are also able to generate theirown competition groups which include friends, family, co-workers orother groups of people they choose. After the competition groups aregenerated, users are able to join whichever group they are invited to.After joining one or more groups, the users are able to join additionalgroups beyond that as they are generated and become available to theuser. A user is informed of the competition groups available forentering either by email, Short Message Service (SMS) text message,voice message or when the user couples to the network to view/playcompetitions. After joining the desired competition groups, the userparticipates in the competitions by answering questions or makingselections based on viewing a sporting event, television show, game showor other event where skill is involved in making choices. In addition,games of skill with a common start time can be conducted simultaneouslyin real-time, based on classic card, dice, trivia, word and other games.The selections/answers/predictions are stored and results and/orstandings are sent to the user. The results and/or standings throughoutthe competition show how well the user is doing compared to othercompetitors via standings, and when the competition is over, the resultsand/or standings determine who the winner is. Additionally, sincemultiple competitions are occurring based on a single event, the resultsand standings are organized so that the user is able to understand howhe is doing in each event. For example, if a user is winning by a lot inhis two friendly competitions, but is slightly out of prize position inthe open competition, he will not simply relax and coast to victory inhis friendly competitions. He is able to realize that by performingslightly better, he still has a chance to win a prize in the opencompetition, while still winning easily in the friendly competitions.

In operation, the present invention allows users to set up and competein multiple competitions for a single event. Although users arecompeting against typically different competitors in differentcompetition groups, the same selections are utilized to produce scoresthat have specific meaning based on the competition group. As describedabove, a user may lose in one competition group but win in anothercompetition group because the competitors are different. Also, therequirements of each group are different as well. For example, in teamplay, if the top two scores are counted and the user has one of the toptwo scores, then his score is important even though he lost in adifferent competition group. In another example, the competition groupis a season long event where there is no weekly winner, but only ayear-end winner. Thus, although the competitor is doing terrible oneweek and has no chance of winning the separate weekly competition, theuser is still encouraged to do as well as possible for the year-endtotal. By allowing users to compete in multiple competition groups forthe same event, the user interaction increases substantially. Forexample, instead of a user simply playing his standard weeklyintermediate football competition, the user is also invited to play inhis family's tournament for bragging rights, his friend's competitionwhere the winner gets $20 and his co-worker's competition where thelowest score pays for a round of drinks the following Friday. With morechances to win, users have a much more vested interest in competing. Toensure users do not get frustrated with the scoring, the results and/orstandings are displayed in a very user-friendly format so that a userknows how well he is doing in each respective competition.

In some embodiments, multiple servers are used within the network. Forexample, one server is dedicated for the scoring, a separate server isdedicated for the database and another server is dedicated for hostingthe graphical user interface.

The present invention has been described in terms of specificembodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding ofprinciples of construction and operation of the invention. Suchreference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is notintended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will bereadily apparent to one skilled in the art that other variousmodifications may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustrationwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as definedby the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method programmed in a device, the methodcomprising: a. providing to the device from a server a list ofcompetitive participant groups to join; b. receiving user inputincluding a group selection of a plurality of competitive participantgroups to join, wherein the plurality of competitive participant groupscorresponds to a same one or more events; c. receiving additional userinput including a single set of event selections related to the one ormore events, wherein the single set of event selections comprisespredictions of occurrences happening before and during completion of theone or more events and enables simultaneously participating with theplurality of competitive groups; d. providing a lockout signal from theserver to the device to prevent further additional user input after thelockout signal is triggered; and e. providing current standings andresults related to the single set of event selections, wherein thecurrent standings are based on the results.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein the one or more events comprises multiple athletic conteststaking place in a single day.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the oneor more events comprises a partial athletic contest.
 4. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the one or more events comprises one or more partialathletic contests.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or moreevents comprises a weekly event.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein theone or more events comprises a week-long event.
 7. The method of claim 6wherein the week-long event comprises a competitive game show.
 8. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the one or more events comprises a variety ofevents.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein each group of the competitiveparticipant groups vary in time duration.
 10. The method of claim 1wherein the plurality of competitive participant groups is associatedwith a user-specified event.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the oneor more events comprises events that occur on multiple days.
 12. Themethod of claim 11 wherein the events are related events.
 13. The methodof claim 1 wherein the standings are separate for each of the pluralityof competitive participant groups.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein aseparate prize is awarded for each of the plurality of competitiveparticipant groups.
 15. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or moreevents are selected from the group consisting of a television-basedevent, a scheduled competition, a scheduled series of competitions, asporting event, an event based on a video game, computer game orelectronic game, an entertainment show, a game show, a reality show, anews show and a commercial contained in a broadcast.
 16. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the one or more events comprises card, dice, trivia andword games played simultaneously.
 17. The method of claim 1 wherein theone or more events comprise multiple contests.
 18. The method of claim17 wherein the multiple contests comprise athletic contests.
 19. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the device is selected from the groupconsisting of a server, a cellular device, a laptop computer, a personalcomputer, a PDA or other web connected device.
 20. The method of claim 1wherein each of the competitive participant groups includes a pluralityof competitors with at least 1000 competitors.
 21. The method of claim 1wherein each of the competitive participant groups includes a pluralityof competitors distributed throughout a country.
 22. The method of claim1 wherein the competitive participant groups comprise competitors inmore than one country.
 23. The method of claim 1 further comprisingsynchronizing the single set of event selections with the one or moreevents.
 24. A device comprising: a. a memory for storing an application,the application configured for i. providing a list of competitiveparticipant groups to join; ii. receiving user input including a groupselection of a plurality of competitive participant groups to join,wherein the plurality of competitive groups corresponds to one or moreevents; iii. receiving additional user input including a single set ofevent selections related to the one or more events wherein the singleset of event selections comprises predictions of occurrences happeningbefore and during completion of the one or more events and enablessimultaneously participating with the plurality of competitive groups;iv. providing standings, wherein the standings are based on results fromthe single set of event selections; v. triggering a lockout signal toprevent further additional user input; and vi. providing currentstandings and results related to the single set of event selectionssimultaneously to each of the competitive groups, wherein the currentstandings are based on the results; and b. a processor for processingthe application.
 25. The device of claim 24 wherein each competitiveparticipant group is distinguishable based on participants in eachcompetitive participant group.
 26. The device of claim 24 wherein theone or more events comprises multiple athletic contests taking place ina single day.
 27. The device of claim 24 wherein the one or more eventscomprises a partial athletic contest.
 28. The device of claim 24 whereinthe one or more events comprises one or more partial athletic contests.29. The device of claim 24 wherein the one or more events are eachrelated events.
 30. The device of claim 24 wherein the standings areseparate for each of the plurality of competitive participant groups.31. The device of claim 24 wherein a separate prize is awarded for eachof the plurality of competitive participant groups.
 32. The device ofclaim 24 wherein the one or more events are selected from the groupconsisting of a television-based event, a scheduled competition, ascheduled series of competitions, a sporting event, an event based on avideo game, computer game or electronic game, an entertainment show, agame show, a reality show, a news show and a commercial contained in abroadcast.
 33. The device of claim 24 wherein the one or more eventscomprises card, dice, trivia and word games played simultaneously. 34.The device of claim 24 wherein the one or more events comprise multiplecontests.
 35. The device of claim 34 wherein the multiple contestscomprise athletic contests.
 36. The device of claim 24 wherein thedevice is selected from the group consisting of a server, a cellulardevice, a laptop computer, a personal computer, a PDA or other webconnected device.
 37. The device of claim 24 wherein each of thecompetitive participant groups includes at least 1000 competitors. 38.The device of claim 24 wherein each of the competitive participantgroups includes a plurality of competitors distributed throughout acountry.
 39. The device of claim 24 wherein the competitive participantgroups comprise competitors in more than one country.
 40. The device ofclaim 24 wherein the device is further configured for synchronizing thesingle set of event selections with the one or more events.
 41. A methodprogrammed in a device, the method comprising: a. receiving user inputincluding a group selection of a plurality of competitive participantgroups to join; b. receiving additional user input including a singleset of event selections related to one or more events, wherein thesingle set of event selections comprises predictions of occurrenceshappening before and during completion of the one or more events andenables participating with the plurality of competitive groups bysending the single set of event selections to a server, wherein thesingle set of event selections is sent by a participant for theplurality of competitive participant groups, further wherein a separateprize is awarded for each of the plurality of competitive participantgroups; c. receiving standings on a device from the server, wherein thestandings are based on results from the single set of event selections;and d. receiving a lockout signal to prevent further additional userinput after the lockout signal is received.
 42. The method of claim 41wherein the one or more events comprises multiple athletic conteststaking place in a single day.
 43. The method of claim 41 wherein the oneor more events comprises a partial athletic contest.
 44. The method ofclaim 41 wherein the one or more events comprises one or more partialathletic contests.
 45. The method of claim 41 wherein the one or moreevents comprises a weekly event.
 46. The method of claim 41 wherein theone or more events comprises a week-long event.
 47. The method of claim46 wherein the week-long event comprises a competitive game show. 48.The method of claim 41 wherein the one or more events comprises avariety of events.
 49. The method of claim 41 wherein each group of thecompetitive participant groups vary in time duration.
 50. The method ofclaim 41 wherein the plurality of competitive participant groups isassociated with a user-specified event.
 51. The method of claim 41wherein the one or more events comprises events that occur on multipledays.
 52. The method of claim 51 wherein the events are related events.53. The method of claim 41 wherein the standings are separate for eachof the plurality of competitive participant groups.
 54. The method ofclaim 41 wherein a separate prize is awarded for each of the pluralityof competitive participant groups.
 55. The method of claim 41 whereinthe one or more events are selected from the group consisting of atelevision-based event, a scheduled competition, a scheduled series ofcompetitions, a sporting event, an event based on a video game, computergame or electronic game, an entertainment show, a game show, a realityshow, a news show and a commercial contained in a broadcast.
 56. Themethod of claim 41 wherein the one or more events comprises card, dice,trivia and word games played simultaneously.
 57. The method of claim 41wherein the one or more events comprise multiple contests.
 58. Themethod of claim 57 wherein the multiple contests comprise athleticcontests.
 59. The method of claim 41 wherein the device is selected fromthe group consisting of a second server, cellular device, a laptopcomputer, a personal computer, a PDA or other web connected device. 60.The method of claim 41 wherein each of the competitive participantgroups includes at least 1000 competitors.
 61. The method of claim 41wherein each of the competitive participant groups includes a pluralityof competitors distributed throughout a country.
 62. The method of claim41 wherein the competitive participant groups comprise competitors inmore than one country.
 63. The method of claim 41 wherein the device isfurther configured for synchronizing the single set of event selectionswith the one or more events.